Sustainable Farming and the Future Food Supply

June 14, 2015 5:24 am

Did you know the world population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by the year 2050? This statistics is worrisome when it comes to food. Will there be enough food for the future generations? Many farmers and researchers are concerned that this growth in population could cause a food catastrophe. For this reason, implementing sustainable farming methods is important. With sustainable methods like fruit delivery, research shows that three billion more people could be fed.

Support for Farms

In order to increase the food supply, it is important to support the farms that are producing the majority of the food. These farms are concentrated in specific areas throughout the world. With the right support, they can learn how to implement sustainable methods that will cause less environmental damage and feed more people.

More Food From Farms

Sustainable farming begins when the world is able to get more food from the existing farms. Some areas of the world are under producing such as Asia, Africa, and Europe. If these regions were to increase their food production by 50 percent, approximately 850 more people could be fed.

Eco-Friendly Farming

Increasing the production of food in these areas sounds simple, but it may require changing the way the food is produced. One of the key objectives with sustainable farming is to grow crops using eco-friendly methods. The Goodworks mission for example does a good job of promoting sustainable agriculture by giving grants to smaller, regional farms. As movements like this start to catch on there will be fewer greenhouse emissions from livestock, deforestation, toxic fertilizers, and rice paddies. It is also important to reduce the amount of water that is used. For example, farmers can stop irrigation processes that are unnecessary. When less water is wasted, the water pollution problem is minimized. This is because less fertilizer is mixed with water during the growing process.

Many of today's countries are not using these environmentally friendly methods. As a result, they contribute toxins and waste when they grow crops. Research shows that the United States, India, Brazil, China, Pakistan, and Indonesia all need to improve their farming methods for the food supply to rise. Currently, they are using destructive methods that are bad for the environment and do not promote increased productivity.

Waste Less Food

A major problem with the future food supply is that much of the food available is wasted. Studies show that anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of food that is produced today is thrown away. Fixing this problem in China, India, and the United States could help 413 million people get food.

There is also a lot of food that gets wasted on farms. Some farms only use half of their crops for people. The rest goes to feed animals. When this happens, important calories are wasted that could feed humans.

Food Conscious

While supporting farms and wasting food is important, individuals also need to take responsibility for their choices. Much of the food supply problems are related to individuals who are not conscious about their choices. These people can work to eat less meat and waste less food themselves.

Along with these efforts, you can support local farms with donations. This is a great way to promote change and a better future for the world. With your help, there will be a lower risk of food scarcity in 2050.

Kidal D. is author at LeraBlog. The author's views are entirely his/her own and may not reflect the views and opinions of LeraBlog staff. Chief editor and author at LERAblog, writing useful articles and HOW TOs on various topics. Particularly interested in topics such as Internet, advertising, SEO, web development, and business.